The Thayne Center for Service and Learning

Named in honor of Emma Lou Thayne and created in 1994, the Thayne Center for Service and Learning is an entity of Salt Lake Community College and assists students in becoming civically-engaged. Their programs include America Reads and Alternative Spring Break, and they also assist students in becoming involved in AmeriCorps. They offer scholarships and assist students and faculty in Service Learning courses.

I graduated from Salt Lake Community College in the year 2007 with my Associate of Arts degree. During my time there I volunteered with the Thayne Center frequently, and became actively involved in AmeriCorps and the America Reads program. I am significantly impressed with the emphasis that is being put today on the importance and value of incorporating service into education. What I learned through the Thayne Center helped me to better understand the needs of others in my community, and, fundamentally, to better understand myself and my own needs. My education would not have been the same without my experiences with the Thayne Center, just as it would not be the same without the volunteerism and involvement so key in my educational life today. I learn more every day by serving others than I ever could learn by only attending typical college courses.